An interesting post on Anthropology in Practice speculates on why we like spicy food. The preference for sweet things is linked to the fruit, carbohydrates and energy. But if that is the case why do we like pepper? The author speculates that it may be medicinal, but if that was the case then cod live oil would be a condiment. A more interesting idea from Rozin (reference in the link) suggests that the taste of pepper allows us to think we are doing things without any real repercussions, to quote: Humans seem to enjoy situations in which their bodies warn them of danger but they know they are really OK. OK I can buy that, but we also eat and drink foods which we know will do us harm. I am getting to the age where I have to think twice before a strong curry, but I will still take the consequences. Ditto my great sin which is ice cream.
At another level look at the growth in extreme sports; the way that humans take on challenges such as climbing Everest without Oxygen; Rugby Union prop forwards at international level know they are condemning themselves to Arthritis in their 40s if not earlier. We go to the edges and beyond with great ease and frequently go beyond them. The idea of the noble cause and the hopeless last stand enter our myths. To life at the edge is to create possibilities beyond the edge and maybe that is the evolutionary driver.
Comments (4)
Hi Dave,
As a former rock climber/high altitude mountaineer/mountain bike racer then both 'the edge' and 'beyond the edge' have multiple dimensions.
'The edge' can also be 'absolute' - about one's sport as a whole (e.g. Messner and Habbeler's first ascent of Everest without oxygen). For the very few talented and exceptional individuals able to perform at the absolute edge of any endeavour there is a competitive drive to be first, quickest, etc - to achieve something that no-one else has, or do it more quickly - and achieve a recognised position amongst peers and others, of one's fortitude, courage, ethical standpoint, excellence.
Amongst individual's without the talent and/or resources (genetic, mental/emotional, financial, etc) to perform at the absolute or outer edges of an endeavour, 'the edge' becomes individual/ specific to oneself. So the edge that I push (if you like one's 'personal best') is my test of myself and my (physical and mental) limits - can I finish that off-road triathlon - can I do it more quickly than last time (can I beat the guy who beat me last time); can I climb a particular route - can I lead it on-sight; how fast can/dare I ride that downhill/singletrack?
Whichever 'edge' is in play, any edge (absolute or individual) is a boundary. May be if some early life form hadn't left the boundary of the oceans and tried dry land; and if some hominids hadn't left the boundary of the trees H.sapiens wouldn't be where we are now.
Perhaps George Bernard Shaw summed it up:
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
Best Wishes
Dave
Posted by David Hoyle | August 17, 2010 1:24 PM
Posted on August 17, 2010 13:24
Capsaicin, the active chemical in peppers, stimulates endorphin release. Endorphins are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus during exercise, consumption of spicy food and orgasm. They resemble opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a feeling of well-being.
Pass the hot sauce, please.
-j
Posted by John Maloney | August 17, 2010 3:27 PM
Posted on August 17, 2010 15:27
Your post reminds about something my mother once told me about children's fairy tales. At the time I had been reading Little Red Riding Hood to my daughter, and had recently enjoyed Neil Jordan's film treatment called "Company of Wolves." It struck me how violent many, if not most, children's fables were.
"Kids learn fear in a safe setting," says my mother.
Posted by Terry Miller | August 17, 2010 10:50 PM
Posted on August 17, 2010 22:50
Re: David Hoyle's comment:
David, I liked your discussion of the "edge" and differentiation between a personal/individual "edge" versus an absolute one. I found it relevant to my own personal situation. I am in my early 40s and, after a long hiatus from martial arts, recently got back into it in the form of mixed martial arts - what you would recognize from television as UFC kickboxing/grappling fights. While I do it only recreationally and not competitively, I often find myself wishing I had started it two decades ago and lament that I can't do it at the same level as the 20-somethings in the school. But to your point, what difference does that make? I may not be able to perform at the same "absolute" level, but I can push my own personal "edge" or boundary as much as they can; the fact that my "edge" is different than theirs is irrelevant.
Thanks for the inspiring comment!
Posted by Jim Caruso | August 18, 2010 4:58 PM
Posted on August 18, 2010 16:58